Shevacai on Nostr: The Daily Stoic - Meditations on Wisdom, Perseverance, and the Art of Living Day 5 ...
The Daily Stoic - Meditations on Wisdom, Perseverance, and the Art of Living
Day 5
October 17th - The Benefit of Kindness
"A benefit should be kept like a buried treasure, only to be dug up in necessity.... Nature bids us to do well by all.... Wherever there is a human being, we have an opportunity for kindness"
-Seneca, On the Happy life 24.2-3
Except from notes
'..and you can treat them well and be better off for it. The same is true with the second person you encounter, and the third. Of course, there is no guarantee that they will return the favor, but that's not our concern. As always, we are going to focus on what we control: in this case, the ability to choose to respond with kindness'
I read years ago the difference between being 'nice', and being 'kind', was; kind is loving and honest, nice is pleasing and positive (though not always honest, and not always with loving intentions)
I've always prefered to try to be kind, as opposed to nice, but it can be difficult being blunt with people who's feelings you might not want to offend.
But being kind can absolutely be of mutual benefit.
Anecdote - I spent nearly 2 hours speaking with a homeless guy, early/mid 50s, today. He spends time out front of the shopping center I frequent, and I'd had some passing conversations with him previously. Today I sat and really had a good conversation. At the end of it he told me, along the lines of, 'because of who I am, and my not wanting to go into shelters with people who are on drugs, I don't have a lot of friends... this morning I prayed that someone, likeminded, would talk with me" and I responded "And here I am".
I don't just simply want to equate what I did with 'kindness', but how often is it that someone may strike up a conversation that isn't just shallow pleasantries.
Be kind to someone today.
Day 5
October 17th - The Benefit of Kindness
"A benefit should be kept like a buried treasure, only to be dug up in necessity.... Nature bids us to do well by all.... Wherever there is a human being, we have an opportunity for kindness"
-Seneca, On the Happy life 24.2-3
Except from notes
'..and you can treat them well and be better off for it. The same is true with the second person you encounter, and the third. Of course, there is no guarantee that they will return the favor, but that's not our concern. As always, we are going to focus on what we control: in this case, the ability to choose to respond with kindness'
I read years ago the difference between being 'nice', and being 'kind', was; kind is loving and honest, nice is pleasing and positive (though not always honest, and not always with loving intentions)
I've always prefered to try to be kind, as opposed to nice, but it can be difficult being blunt with people who's feelings you might not want to offend.
But being kind can absolutely be of mutual benefit.
Anecdote - I spent nearly 2 hours speaking with a homeless guy, early/mid 50s, today. He spends time out front of the shopping center I frequent, and I'd had some passing conversations with him previously. Today I sat and really had a good conversation. At the end of it he told me, along the lines of, 'because of who I am, and my not wanting to go into shelters with people who are on drugs, I don't have a lot of friends... this morning I prayed that someone, likeminded, would talk with me" and I responded "And here I am".
I don't just simply want to equate what I did with 'kindness', but how often is it that someone may strike up a conversation that isn't just shallow pleasantries.
Be kind to someone today.